1877 Tall Ship ELISSA

UPDATE: Paul Burka, senior executive editor of Texas Monthly had a post on his BurkaBlog this evening about the damages reported by the Galveston Historical Foundation, the owners of the Tall Ship ELISSA.

The 1877 tall ship ELISSA, restored by GHF in 1982 and a proud symbol of Galveston, seems to have ridden out the storm with little damage beyond the loss of several of her sails. Large steel piles driven deeply in to the harbor bottom allow the vessel to remain attached to the shore even beyond the estimated 18 foot rise of water on Friday.

The Texas Seaport Museum at pier 22, ELISSA’s home berth, did not do as well, suffering considerable damage to the brick and wooden pier structure, and a suspected total loss of the wooden workshops which serve the maintenance needs of the ship. The Seaport Museum itself, in the 1990 Jones Building, has suffered little damage.

The ELISSA is pictured here after hurricane Ike passed through. This is the only photo I have been able to find of her. There was a brief mention of her in the Austin American Statesman, where they mispelled her name Elyssa - the nerve! It looks like there was damage to her rigging and sails, but overall, she looks good. The photo does not help much in telling how the Museum fared (see above). -- Thank you Elissa Millman for sending the photos! If you would like to see a LOT more photos from the hurricane, Photos of Ike aftermath. (9/21/2008)

As one of the premier maritime preservation projects in the world, the 1877 Tall Ship ELISSA represents the triumph of tenacity and vision, The Tall Ship ELISSA is truly beautiful and wonderful! When Galveston Historical Foundation first brought ELISSA to the United States, some saw the effort to restore her as a foolhardy and impossible task. Here is the interesting history of ELISSA. Become a Member and help keep her afloat. Here is http://www.galvestonhistory.org/ the Mother web site to the ELISSA site - they have a Hurricane Resource Center and check out the webcam site for Galveston (most of these are out of service right now).

22 September, 2005 Note from: Kate M. Dean from Aberdeen, Scotland UK.
I am Leader of Aberdeen City Council, the city in which ELISSA of Galveston Tx was built, and visited the restored ELISSA in May 2005. God Bless all of you who were instrumental in rebuilding her, and may God keep you through the times to come. If there is anything that her Birth City may do for her, or for those who have restored her in the difficult times to come, please e-mail me.
Astrological Sign: Capricorn, Age: 43

EB Note: This was such a wonderful note from Kate Dean - I was truly touched! This arrived just as the news was predicting Hurricane Rita would hit Galveston head on.

The photo is Kay in the rigging of the ELISSA. (Click on the image to enlarge) I am envious, I've never sailed on the ELISSA! After Ike, I heard that her house had suffered damage when the water was 5 ft. high in her living room.

See the wonderful Artists Proofs Signed, numbered, personalized of the Barque "ELISSA" by Don Scafidi (6/22/02)

Meeting of the Two Elegant Ladies - the ELISSA & Statue of Liberty. Rice straw art is a dying art form that is being nursed back to life--appropriately enough, by one doggedly determined nurse. Rajan (Ray) Koshy, who opened the Rice Straw Museum in Glaveston, TX about 3 years ago. The art involves carefully sorting and selecting narrow strips of rice straw and gluing them to a cloth base to form a collage. The natural colors of the rice plant is are used in forming the art. For more information on the museum, or to order Meeting of the Two Elegant Ladies - the ELISSA & Statue of Liberty, call (409)762-5621 (1/17/03)